The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, denominated "Berenda Sun", broadly characterized by its full freestone fruit and firm and crisp, bright yellow flesh, and more particularly to such a peach tree wherein the fruit has a skin which is tenacious to the flesh and which ripens for picking in the San Joaquin Valley of California about July 22 through 24 and before the patented O'Henry peach.
The commercial value and marketability of fresh fruit, and particularly that of peaches, are intimately related to the physical characteristics of such fruit which allow the fruit to be picked, packed, and handled during shipment without damage to or impairment of the appearance and quality of the fruit. The value of such fruit is also greatly enhanced where it possesses qualities such as to permit storage for substantial periods of time. The fruit of the O'Henry peach tree, covered by U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,964, possesses good qualities in many of these respects.
The variety of the present invention produces fruit having a tough skin and very crisp flesh and, hence, the fruit is of excellent shipping quality. The fruit is further characterized by its color, ranging from very dark red to bright yellow red to yellow, which affords the fruit an attractive and desirable appearance and consequently an enhanced market value in comparison with the fruit of other varieties. The fruit of the present invention is further characterized by its bright yellow flesh, which ripens evenly and about July 22 through 24. Thus, the fruit of the present variety possesses many of the best commercial features of the O'Henry peach, but is distinct therefrom in a number of significant respects including that it ripens before the O'Henry peach.